There’s nothing better than coming home to a clean house. The problem is that someone has to clean it and usually, that person is you. If you’re currently between maids, never fear. Cleaning is not as hard as it looks if you take the right approach.
Use these five cleaning hacks for sprucing up your place in no time, no frilly apron required.
Wax Your Stovetop
Your stove top is one of those areas that gets dirty quickly. If you leave stains on it too long, they tend to set. Before you know it, you’re spending your Saturday attacking the kitchen with a scrubber.
One of the best kitchen hacks out there actually uses an ingredient you’d normally find in the garage. Start by cleaning your stove. Remove the stains and any debris. Remove any excess water. Then, apply a thin layer of car wax to your stove top. Use a soft rag to wipe off the excess.
The car wax won’t stop you from spilling your soup. But it will make any spills you do have lift off easily. No scrubbing required.
Buff Leather Furniture with Shoe Polish
People buy leather furniture for practical reasons because it is durable, comfortable and stylish. Yet, there’s something about a leather sofa that reminds you that you are home. If that good old leather couch is starting to look a bit… old, then the obvious thing to do is throw a blanket it on it and pretend it doesn’t exist. But you can actually remove the scratches from your beloved sofa with little effort. There’s no need to send it out to a furniture repair specialist. All you need to fix cosmetic surface marks is some shoe polish.
To get started, find shoe polish in the appropriate shade and grab a clean cloth. Apply the shoe polish to the affected area using the applicator. Buff the polish in a circular motion. Keep everyone off the furniture for an hour while the polish sets in. Then, buff off any leftover product.
After you’ve done this, you’ll want to follow a few steps to make the results last. Apply some leather cleaner on a clean rag and apply it to the scratched area. Wipe off any extra cleaner before adding the leather protectant. Let the protectant dry overnight. Blast it with heat from a blow dryer for 30 seconds the next morning so that it seals.
Clean Your Mattress with Vodka
Your mattress is one of those things that really needs to be cleaned. But the logistics of doing so sounds complicated. You might live in a small apartment complex, without much room to work. Sure, you can remove the mattress cover and send it through the wash. But that only gets the mattress cover clean. It does not even scratch the surface of what lies beneath.
It turns out that cleaning your mattress is relatively easy. There’s no hoisting or shouting “pivot” required.
Grab a spray bottle and pour some vodka into it. If you have essential oils, add a few drops of your favorite one to the bottle and blend. Then, spray your mattress with the vodka. Give it plenty of time to air dry. The vodka will kill the bacteria living in your mattress which will prevent odors and disinfect the mattress all at once.
Remove Water Rings with Your Hair Dryer
It does not matter how many coasters you lay down. There is always that one person who disregards the house rules and puts their glass down on your beautiful wood table. But there’s no need to cry out in despair. Removing the water ring does not require you to shine, sand or even strip the wood. All you need to remove that stain is a hair dryer.
Plug your hair dryer in and turn the setting to a medium heat. Then, hold the dryer about two inches away from the water stain. When you turn the dryer on, use a soft cloth to help you buff the mark off the table. It might take a while, up to 20 minutes, but keep buffing until the stain is gone.
Eliminate Soap Scum with a Dryer Sheet
Cleaning the bathroom is relatively straight forward until you encounter all those weird stains. Black mold and hard water stains are a pain and require serious chemicals. But soap scum? You can use something lavender scented to remove that stain.
If you can’t find the right bathroom cleaner or you want to avoid chemicals, you can use a dryer sheet to remove soap scum buildup. Sprinkle a few drops of water onto dryer sheet, preferably one that’s fresh from the dryer, and get to scrubbing.
Living without a maid isn’t as hard as it sounds. Use these five clever cleaning hacks and take back your Saturdays!
Featured photo credit: eyeliam via flickr.com
